Human Nature
by Blue Halo
Summary: AU. Things have changed over the years. A peace based on lies couldn't last. Rorschach believes he's found a new threat, and doesn't hesitate to look into it. Watchmen/X-men Evolution crossover. Still toying with pairing ideas.
1. Legends

A/N: Just thought I'd give you guys a quick heads up on this before I start. 1. Yes, this is AU, in a way. Rorschach is still alive. It will be further explained in the story. 2. This is set near the beginning of X-Men Evolution, when most people don't know about the existence of mutants.

**Human Nature**

**Chapter 1: Legends**

The city was crawling with lowlife. Not that it was any surprise, but today it seemed doubly true. Rorschach allowed himself just a moment of weakness while he was alone, leaning back against an alley wall to catch his breath. There was a splatter of blood on his coat and face, the deep red specks creating macabre patterns with his ever-changing mask.

_Rorschach's Journal  
March 3rd 2000 ... 7:30 pm  
_

_It's been a rough night. Thought the city was bad a few years ago... no, was only the beginning. For a while now, they've been growing. Gangs, violent groups often consisting of not just adults, but kids. Teenagers. They mark their territory, claim their stake on not only land, but people. I'm dealing with animals here, not men._

_I've already faced a couple. So far uninjured, aside from a scratch here or there.  
_

Rorschach froze as a sharp sound reached his ears. He pressed himself further into the wall. His hand moved slowly, grabbing onto the nearest loose object he could find. An old hammer, sticking out of a near-by dumpster. Crude, but useful. He wasn't sure who it was... a possible gang member, wanting revenge, or a simple passer-by, but he could hear feet... and talking. He strained his ears to listen. They were young... a boy and a girl. Gritting his teeth beneath his mask, he realized it was just a pair of teenagers out for a walk. Grunting softly, he ducked down behind the dumpster, keeping himself hidden in it's shadow.

"I, like, don't know what to do, Kurt!"

"Relax, Kitty. I'm sure it will fix itself. You're making a big deal out of nothing."

Rorschach narrowed his eyes, peering out from his spot as they turned into the alley. They looked like normal teenagers, but he knew better than to believe that. His grip tightened on the hammer, just in case, and he watched them closely, waiting for any movement. The boy placed his hand on the girl's shoulder and...

They were gone. Poof, just like that, leaving only a puff of smoke behind. Rorschach furrowed his brows and stepped out carefully, still holding onto the hammer. He stepped clean through the puff of smoke. It was like they were never even there...

This would take some looking into.

-

_Rorscach's Journal  
March 5th 2000 ... 7:22 am  
_

_Took a lot of digging, but I found something. I've heard of them before, mutants, but I've never actually seen one, aside from Manhattan, of course. But he gained his powers through an accident. From what I've heard, most of these mutants are born with their powers. A threat? I'm not sure yet. They're tricky. Most haven't been caught in the media. Still, I've tracked down the two teenagers I saw. Kurt Wagner and Katherine Pryde. They're both currently attending school at Bayville High. It has an unusually high record for accidents.  
_

_I don't usually work in broad daylight, but unfortunately, I'll have to make an exception this time._

He wasn't wearing his mask. A slightly risky move, but not nearly as risky as if he _had_ been wearing it. After all, Rorschach was supposed to be gone, and most wouldn't recognize Walter Kovaks, especially with the little strands of gray beginning to twist into his red hair. He pushed his hands into his pockets again, leaning back against a tree as he waited, watching. A red convertable pulled into the parking lot, and Walter's eyes narrowed as he spotted the two familiar faces. With them were four others. His interest stuck with a young man, the one driving the car, or rather the sunglasses that he wore. They were not normal sunglasses, he could tell simply by glancing at them.

He'd have to do a little more poking, he supposed.

Walter straightened himself, starting toward the group. It might be a little creepy, but since when did he care about that? "Excuse me."

The young man turned his head toward the voice, furrowing his brows. Still, he remained calm. "Yeah?" he asked, and Walter noticed the others hanging back a little, waiting for him.

"Sorry," Walter said, keeping a polite image. "I'm thinking about enrolling my son in this school, just wanted to get an opinion on it from some of the students."

The young man raised an eyebrow, clearly not believing him. However, a red-headed girl stepped forward, placing a hand on his shoulder to stop him from saying whatever he was going to say. She offered a smile, "It's a great school," she told Walter. "The kids are pretty nice, and we have a lot of extra-curricular activities."

Walter forced a smile. It no longer came naturally to him. He held out a hand, "Thank you very much, Miss...?"

"Jean Grey," She answered, taking his hand to shake. "I'm on the student body, so if you have any more questions..."

"No, thank you. I'm going to ask around a little more, Miss Grey." Walter calmly stepped away. He didn't look back, but he listened closely.

"Jean, what're you thinking?" The man asked in a harsh whisper.

"He was a nice guy! He just wanted to know about the school, Scott."

"I don't trust him. You should've read his mind."

"We're not allowed to use our powers at school."

And there it was. Rorschach stepped around the school, pressing his back into the wall again. Mutants. Whether it was all six or not, he didn't know, but they definitely stuck together. Made sense. The strange often did.

-

Breaking in was always the easy part. The school's high security didn't matter, Rorschach made quick work of it, and soon found himself in the Principal's office. He peered around, pushing his hat further down on his head. There. Student files. He picked the cabinet's lock and slid it open, fingers flipping through the files until he found Jean Grey. Basketball player, student council. She had quite a record. But none of it caught Rorschach's interest. None of it was useful, except for... wait.

Xavier Institute for Higher Learning.

Now that was interesting. Wasn't she already enrolled in this school? He pulled out the next file. Kurt Wagner. He flipped through until he came across the same name. Searching through Katherine Pryde's file, he found it again. He knew better to believe in coincidences.


	2. Teams

**Human Nature**

**Chapter 2: Teams  
**

_Rorschach's Journal  
March 5th, 2000 ... 11:45 pm_

_Charles Xavier. Billionaire. Genius, in all sense of the word. Graduated Harvard University at the age of sixteen. PhD's in genetics biophysics, and psychology. Expert in mutation. An inventor, photographic mind... the just just goes on. I already know that he's going to be trouble for me. He owns the institute, runs the entire thing himself. Whether he's a mutant or not, I don't know, but I wouldn't doubt it in the slightest. He has a very clear interest in them._

Rorschach gritted his teeth as the soles of his shoes dug into the brick wall, launching him up into the air. He reached out, grabbing firmly onto a window pane on the second story. Taking a deep breath, he started to haul himself up into the open window. Pushing his hat down on his head, he peered around the room. It was a bedroom. And lying in bed, fast asleep, was none other than Katherine Pryde. She was fast asleep, curled up with a happy little smile on her face. It was almost cute.

But only almost. After all, he knew what she was now, how dangerous she could be.

He spotted her backpack on the floor, narrowing his eyes. Rorschach kneeled down, beginning to search through it. He found nothing of interest, except for the notebook that had 'Shadowcat' written all over it. A possible nickname? He'd look further into it. For now, he slipped out of the room, beginning to wander down the halls of the mansion. It seemed normal enough, aside from a few scratch marks on the wall... Scratchmarks?

Rorschach peeled off a glove, running his thin, caloused fingers over the scratch marks. Three, perfectly parallel, running deep into the wall. He didn't know of any animal that could've caused it. It had to be a mutant. Gritting his teeth beneath his shifting mask, he pulled the glove back on, continuing his journey down the halls. Soon, he came to a room at the very end of the hall. The master bedroom, he could safely assume. It would be Xavier's room.

He pushed the door open, and stopped dead in his tracks as he spotted none other than Charles Xavier, sitting by a lit gas-lamp in his wheel chair. Their gazes locked, despite the barrier of the mask between them. Shit.

Rorschach turned, grabbing the nearest object (a small end table), and holding it up in preparation to fight. Xavier didn't move, simply folding his hands together. "There's no need to fight."

"Hurm. I see a huge need to fight," Rorschach responded gruffly, his grip tightening on the legs of the end table.

Xavier raised a slight eyebrow, the trace of a smile finding it's way onto his lips. "Only sometimes... I thought the Watchmen had died out decades ago..."

He was old enough to have been around for their glory days, Rorschach realized. At least, that's what people called them... their glory days. He didn't see them as such. Still, Xavier had to know who he was. Rorschach narrowed his eyes beneath his shifting mask. "Most of them did." It didn't look like the disabled man would be attacking any time soon, so slowly, he put the table down. Instead, he started poking around.

"I see." Xavier watched calmly as Rorschach went through his drawers. "There isn't much of interest in there. You might want to try the bookshelf."

For now, Rorschach ignored him. He countinued searching the drawers. He flipped through the mail left on top of the dresser, glanced over the certificates hanging on his wall. Finally, he reached the bookshelf, glancing over the titles. And his eyes fell on the spine of a small black book. _Rorschach's Journal._

He remembered dropping his little book into the mailbox. He remembered reading his own quotes in the paper. He remembered the day it was published by a small company. They'd long ago stopped making copies. There'd only been about two hundred of them... Rorschach had never bought one himself. Why should he? He took the book, beginning to flip through the pages. Word for word... at least they hadn't changed it...

"You can sign it, if you like."

It was a joke, but Rorschach wasn't amused. He snapped the book closed, turning his eyes to Xavier. "What is your ability?"

Xavier rolled his wheelchair closer and the masked vigilante tensed up in alarm. "Telepathy."

Rorschach dropped the book into the disabled man's lap. Telepathy? That meant... he could read minds. He didn't like that idea one bit, stepping away from the professor, as if it would prevent such a thing from happening. "You train these kids. Why?"

Xavier flipped the book open, beginning to turn the pages. "I help these children fit in in an unfair world." his finger skimmed across words. "Teach them to embrace their powers, their differences, and use them for good."

"Good for who?" Rorschach growled.

"The world. Mankind. Mutants." Xavier paused, staring down at the book. "They're dwindling away slowly. I can feel the change, everywhere. The world is being pulled into a dark place, and those holding it back are fading into the shadows, just like everyone else. I can't hold it back on my own, but I have to keep trying."

Rorschach froze as he heard his own written words spoken out loud. They were strange on his ears, but it was still how he felt.

"You wrote that, didn't you?" Xavier closed the book, tenderly placing it back in place on the shelf. "You said you can't hold it back on your own. Well neither can I. No one can. But as a team..."

Teams break apart. They never last. Rorschach turned to slip out of the room, leaving Xavier behind. He'd learn more later.


	3. History

**Human Nature**

**Chapter 3: History  
**

_Rorschach's Journal  
March 5th, 2000 ... 12:10 am_

_Should avoid direct contact with Charles Xavier. Telepath. Unsure if he read mind, but unwilling to risk it. He knows who I am... has copy of my old journal. Why?  
_

Rorschach moved swiftly from the Master bedroom, using light steps to sneak by the rooms. He'd wait... wait until Xavier had some reason to leave the institute and-

The vigilante froze as suddenly, three long, connected to a fist, stabbed into the wall in front of him. Rorschach narrowed his eyes, turning his attention to the owner of said blades. Taller than him, better built, with dark eyes that obviously weren't happy to see him. The masked man wasn't intimidated in the slightest.

"You're going to tell me who you are and what you're doing here, bub," snarled the mutant.

Rorschach calmly sidestepped him. Hadn't done anything yet, just trying to figure out why he was in their home. He started walking away again and a snarl reached his ears. The man reached out, grabbing the back of his coat and slamming him into the wall. Rorschach narrowed his eyes angrily, his mask shifting with the emotion, much to his attacker's surprise. "Release."

The man pressed three claws to the bottom of Rorschach's chin. "I don't think so."

It seemed like there would be a fight, then. Rorschach grabbed the man's wrist, using it as leverage as his legs moved, kicking his opponent in the gut several times. It sent him stumbling back and snarling. He sprung forward again, though the vigilante noticed that his claws were retracted first. He wasn't really out for blood. He barely dodged, the man's fist hitting the wall instead. He was sloppy. A lot of brute force. Well. Rorschach could deal with that easily.

He grabbed a picture off the wall, ducking down to avoid another attack, and swung. The frame shattered against his opponent's back due to the force of it, leaving several small injuries from splintered wood and shattered class. However, Rorschach was startled when he found himself grabbed again, the rush forcing his hat from his head, and kneed in the stomach. Stupid. They were mutants, of course they might be able to withstand more pain.

Rorschach was about to make another move when-

"Logan."

His attack's head snapped to the side, spotting Xavier wheeling out of his room.

"Leave him be."

"Chuck, he-"

"I know." Xavier folded his hands together, glancing at Rorschach. "Leave him."

Logan. Rorschach took note of the name as he straightened himself. He didn't touch his sore stomach, standing tall in refusal to show any weakness. His eyes turned to Xavier, unsure if he liked this interference. Half of him was tempted to just attack Logan again, send him to the ground with glass from one of these many pictures through his chest. He refrained. He was in a building full of mutants that would obviously be on his opponent's side.

Instead, Rorschach leaned down to grab his hat, placing it on his head, and straightened his coat. He glanced at Logan one more time, meeting resentful, but curious eyes, before turning to go. He could see doors beginning to peek open as curious students looked out to see what all the noise had been. He ignored them, finding a window, and sliding out. He dropped down from the second story, landing gracefully with his knees bent to absorb the impact.

_Rorschach's Journal  
March 5th, 2000 ... 12:30 am_

_Logan. Last name unknown. Unsure of all of his powers, but most notable is the blades that come out of his hands, three in each, like claws. Had a scuffle with him, though it was clear that he had no intentions of truly hurting me, never actually touching me with his 'claws', though he could've. Might've been a long fight, had Xavier not stopped him._

_Good or evil? Still unclear._

-

"Professor, who was that?" Scott asked as he hesitantly stepped from his room. He noticed the shattered picture and frowned, reaching down to grab it. It was one of himself and Jean. Damn.

Xavier looked up, noticing the heads poking out of their doors, or in Kitty's case, through the wall. They clearly wouldn't be getting any sleep until they heard. He resisted the urge to sigh. "Why don't you all meet me in the kitchen?"

The students filed into the kitchen, clearly impatient to know what had just gone on. Ororo started making hot chocolate for what would probably be a long night. Students murmured their 'thanks' and 'no thanks'. They whispered to each other, clearly wondering who that man they'd seen could possibly be. Everyone fell silent as Xavier wheeled into the room. He placed a small black book on the table.

Jean frowned, being closest, she peered down at it. "_Rorschach's Journal._" She furrowed her brows. "Like the ink blot test?"

Ororo took the book, turning it over to read the back, but there was no description. "Rorschach... It was a long time ago, but... He was a vigilante, wasn't he?"

"Yes, that's right," Xavier nodded. "You were in Africa at the time. The rest of you either weren't born or were too young to remember." Or simply _didn't_ remember, in Logan's case.

"Yes," Hank nodded. "I remember. I was young back then. "Terrifying place, the world was."

Xavier nodded in agreement. "It was. And often times, they've tried to stifle this history, which is why you never heard of masked heroes in school, and why this is one of only very few copies of this book."

"Masked heroes?" Kurt repeated, cocking his head to the side. "Like us? Superheroes?"

"Kind of," Xavier smiled. "Back then, Mutants were not commonly known, and almost none were open about their abilities. Except for one, Dr. Manhattan, as he was called. But I'll start at the beginning."

They all shifted closer to listen, clearly uncertain.

"Ever since the second World War, crime rates had gone up dramatically," Xavier explained, staring down at the book. "Often times the police couldn't keep up. It was around those times that these masked heroes started to appear. First was the Minutemen, as they called themselves. Most did not have gifts like all of you do. They simply trained with everything they had and fought. But unfortunately..." he shook his head. "The public was not very accepting of them, either. Many were killed... some went crazy, they say. Others just disappeared, to avoid the same thing, retired."

The x-men exchanged uncertain glaces, clearly one question going between them. Would that happen to them too?

Xavier released a soft breath. "After the Minutemen, though, six heroes continued to fight during the time of the Cold War. The Watchmen. They had their names like all of you do. Dr. Manhattan, Nite Owl, Silk Spectre, The Comedian, Ozymandias, and Rorschach, the man you saw here tonight. But in time, even they seemed to have broken apart. Most retired. Ozymandias revealed himself. He was described as the smartest man in the world, and was supposedly working to find a renewable energy source. Dr. Manhattan joined him in this work. His powers were incredible, though he was not actually born with them. An accident created him. Nite Owl and Silk Spectre both retired. The Comedian started working with the government, but... he became... twisted. He started shooting an innocents. Last was Rorschach. He was the only one that continued to fight as he had previously, but his own methods changed. He was ruthless to criminals, though it's unclear exactly why. But he became a wanted man due to his methods, one of the most feared in the city of New York."

"What do you mean, 'ruthless'?" Scott asked hesitantly.

Xavier sighed. "Criminals, he didn't just leave them for the police. He killed them."

It almost seemed like a shiver passed through the room. "Was that... the man that was here?" Rogue asked, hugging her arms.

"Yes, that's right." Xavier set the book down again. "He had a very clear line between good and evil, and evil suffered greatly at his hands."

"Why did you let him get away?" Logan asked with a low snarl. "I could've-"

"Just hold on, Logan," Xavier told him. "For a long time it continued this way. And then the Comedian was killed. Everything that happened is unclear, Rorschach documented a lot of it in his journal. At one point, each hero became active again, one way or another. But the world came to a halt when Dr. Manhattan supposedly blew a hole in New York City. They say that's when the cold war ended. No body knew why it happened, but a common enemy stopped the countries from fighting."

"So... what happened?" Evan asked, frowning.

"Manhattan vanished, but it was reported he killed Rorschach, by the other heroes. His blood was found all over the snow in a very precise, symmetrical pattern. The others disappeared. Probably retired, but no one knows for sure."

"Then... how is he here? And why?" Jean asked.

"I don't know," Xavier admitted.


	4. Brotherhood

A/N: Sorry for the wait guys, been pretty busy. Anyways, I hope to be updating faster now.

**Human Nature**

**Chapter 4: Brotherhood  
**

_Rorschach's Journal  
March 13th, 2000 ... 3:15 pm_

_Have kept distance since encounter. Simply observed, though not near the institute. Xavier can sense my presence and the one known as Logan can smell me. Instead, watched high school. Most seem to have an alias. Mutants hide their abilities fairly well. Have only caught glimpse of what they can do. "Kitty" Pryde reached through locker once to get history book. Haven't seen anything since._

_Noticed one called Duncan Matthews. Strong dislike for Summers. Feeling is mutual. Compete for Grey's affection. She pretends to be annoyed by it, actually seems to enjoy attention from both. Whore. Will keep an eye on Matthews and Summers. See what happens._

Walter Kovaks pushed his hands into his pockets as he walked past the school for the third time that day. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see students filing out of the building, ready to go home and waste their weekends away. His eyes fell on Scott as he started around toward the parking lot where his car waited for him. Behind him trotted Kurt, smiling good-naturedly. They laughed, exchanging words until a tall blond boy stepped right into their path. Around him were about five others, all wearing red football jackets.

Walter furrowed his brows, leaning on a tree to watch a little more closely.

Scott pursed his lips, narrowing his eyes. "Move out of the way, Duncan."

"I don't think so, Summers," Duncan smirked, his buddies moving beside him to create a sort of wall. "We've got some unfinished business.

Walter didn't have to be near to sense the anger radiating off the young mutant. Kurt rested a hand on Scott's shoulder to hold him back, and the older boy growled, clenching his fists. "I don't want any trouble."

"I think we both know that's a lie." Duncan gave Scott a solid shove in the shoulder. "C'mon freak, take off those sunglasses and face me like a real man."

Several thoughts ran through the Walter's mind. He first thought of taking Scott down before he did any serious damage. He then thought of a young red-headed boy tackling a larger kid to the ground and trying to bite his face off. He narrowed his eyes, waiting a moment to see how this would play out. Duncan continued with harsh words, taunting Scott, giving the occasional shove as his friends laughed. Scott seemed to have just about had it with this kid when he snatched the sunglasses off his face.

Scott immediately clamped his eyes shut, putting a hand over him.

"Hey, that's not cool!" Kurt snapped, trying to reach for the glasses, but unable to without using his powers.

"I think that-"

Duncan gasped in surprise as he suddenly found himself on the ground, a foot resting solidly on his chest to keep him from moving. It was clear who was the bad guy in this situation, and Walter was a little sick of it. He peered around at the other football players, who had become very quiet under a pair of sharp blue eyes. "Suggest you all go home," he growled, reaching down to grab the red sunglasses from the dazed Duncan. They hesitated, but another harsh glare and they were quick to turn tail.

Walter dug his heel lightly into Duncan's chest, earning a soft grunt of pain in response. "Hey man, you're crazy! Get the hell off me!"

"I-I think he gets the point," Kurt threw in uncertainly, looking at Walter with wide eyes. He vaguely remembered the man, though he hadn't seen him so up close.

Walter grunted, removing his foot, though he gave Duncan a good shove with it. "Get out of here," he ordered. Duncan scrambled up to run off. Walter peered down at the red sunglasses, silently noting their material. Certainly not plastic... Quartz? He reached, allowing the sunglasses to touch Scott's hand.

Scott was tense, clearly uncertain. He didn't know who had helped. He took the sunglasses, placing them back over his eyes before fixing his gaze on Walter. "Err... thanks..." he clearly didn't trust him. Smart boy.

Now that everyone was out of immediate danger, Kurt brightened up. "Yeah, that was pretty cool how you took him down like that! One second he's standing and the next, flat on his back!"

Walter shrugged, running a hand through his smoke and fire hair. He turned, pushing his hands into his pockets again and starting to stalk off. Scott furrowed his brows in confusion. "Hey- wait!"

Walter didn't stop, leaving the two boys behind.

Scott and Kurt exchanged glances. "Wasn't he the guy that was talking to Jean?" Kurt asked, blinking.

"Yeah..." Scott answered, narrowing his eyes. "Must be here to pick up his kid or something..." Thing was, though, he didn't remember seeing any new students around...

-

_Rorschach's Journal  
March 13th, 2000 ... 8:55 pm_

_Uncertain about mutants now. Don't seem violent, show restraint in using powers. Spent too much time studying them. There are still criminals out, filling the streets with filth and blood. Need to focus on punishing evil._

Rorschach's arm shot out, pressing his palm to the wall in order to balance himself as the ground shook beneath him. An earthquake in New York? It didn't make any sense at all... Possible, of course, but certainly not likely. It triggered in his head a second later. Mutants. Growling softly, the vigalented started to move, following the direction in which the earth's tremors grew harder. It was a little difficult, but he managed to get a hang of it.

His hidden eyes fell on a group of teenage boys as he reached on of the more empty parts of the city. They were dressed strangely, in a way that reminded him of many of the masked heros of the past. But judging by their roaring laughs at the destrucion of a small jewelry shop, he knew better than to think they were here for good. He didn't recognize any as the 'X-Men'. Perhaps this mutant thing was a little bigger than he thought...

He furrowed his brows as suddenly one of the boys, a thin, platnum blonde, was gone from his vision. The whip of the others' hair made him realize that he hadn't teleported, but ran. And only a few seconds later, the boy was standing by his friends again, holding up bags of jewelry, with gold chains and rings on his neck and fingers. Theif.

"Check it out guys," Pietro snickered. "I'm royalt- OOF!"

The thin teenager fell forward as he felt an extremely solid hit to his back, jewels spilling all over the ground. The others jumped in surprise, turning. To their surprise, it was not the X-Men, but a man in a trench coat with a shifting black and white mask.

Shaking off his surprise, Lance growled. "Who the hell are you?" he demanded.

"Stealing. Very bad," the masked vigilante growled, sending a shiver down Toad's back.

"Hey man, I don't like the looks of this guy," Toad grumbled, stepping behind Blob.

Blob snorted, turning to fix his eyes on a car. "Just some guy playing hero," he told the other boy.

Rorschach didn't flinch. Watched as Pietro stood, brushing himself off and glaring. "Alright boys, he wants to play hero, lets get him."

Speed. The moment Pietro so much as flinched, Rorschach fired his grappling gun to the side. The boy was startled as suddenly, he found himself not running circles around the strange man, but tangled up in the wire of that damn gun. He hit the ground with an ungraceful thud.

Blob growled, grabbing the car and lifting it over his head. Rorschach rested a foot on Pietro's neck before the massive teenager could throw it.

There was a pause and the others exchanged glances. He wouldn't... would he?

"Get him!" Pietro snapped until he felt the foot press down a little harder.

Lance gritted his teeth. Rorschach watched as his eyes rolled back and he felt the ground began to shake once more. He stumbled away from his victim, trying to regain his balance. Just then, the car was hurdled. "Shit!" the vigilante hissed, dropping down onto his stomach just in time to avoid taking full force to the head. Glancing up, he saw Toad jump, aiming a kick at him. He rolled onto his back, reaching up to snatch his leg, and rolled again, trapping the small boy beneath him.

"'Ey! Get off me!"

Rorschach shifted, pressing his knee into Toad's spine until he heard a light pop.

Toad whimpered, shutting his eyes tightly. Rorschach's hands moved to his neck, ready to give it a good snap.

"W-w-wait! P-please-!"

"Scum," Rorschach snarled, turning his eyes up to the others as well as they watched with wide eyes. They fought the X-Men constantly, but the X-men were never so... brutal. "Using abilities for lowlife purposes. Endangering innocents. Very bad." His grip tightened around Toad's neck.

"_Rorschach, that's enough!_"


	5. Files

**Human Nature**

**Chapter 5: Files  
**

_"Rorschach, that's enough!"_

Rorschach glanced over his shoulder. Summers. No longer wearing his sunglasses, but a pair of ruby-colored goggles. The vigilante took note of his outfit. Uniform, he realized, silently studying the 'X' designs. Behind Scott were Jean and Rogue. Both dressed in their own form of the uniform. Once again he was reminded of the old heroes. He pushed the memories back, narrowing his eyes beneath his mask.

"Summers. Helping them?" he released Toad's neck, though kept a foot firmly planted on the boy's back as he stood again.

"No," Scott answered, sounding disgusted at the very idea. "But That doesn't mean I'm going to let you hurt them." Two fingers moved to rest on the side of his goggles. "Let them go, Rorschach."

"Criminals," Rorschach grunted, eyes flickering over the group. So they were heroes. Perhaps not like the Minutemen or the Watchmen, but heroes none the less. "Could've hurt innocent. Must be punished."

"I agree," Jean spoke up, narrowing her eyes. "But not with their lives."

"Y-yeah! Wh-what she said!" Toad spoke up, trying to wriggle out from under the vigilante, but Rorschach only dug his heel into the boy's spine, causing him to whimper in pain again.

Rorschach's eyes flickered over the X-men. They reminded him a bit of Nite Owl. Too naive. Saw good in everyone. Good that just wasn't there. He supposed he could thank Xavier for that. "Obviously, they won't be punished elsewhere," Rorschach snorted. He glanced to the side, surprised to see that Pietro had managed to free himself, and was no longer on the floor.

Damn it! He whirled around to face the Brotherhood in time to see Lance's eyes roll back again. The earth began to tremble once more. Rorschach stumbled back, trying to catch himself. Toad took the opportunity to roll onto his feet and pounce away as fast as he possibly could.

"Let's get out of here!"

The others didn't need any other incentive and they quickly moved to follow. Rorschach snarled, turning sharply to take off after them.

"Jean!"

"I'm on it!"

Suddenly, there was no ground beneath him. Rorschach's eyes widened as he found himself in the air. He tried to move, plant his feet back on the ground, but he couldn't. Turning his head, he saw Jean with two fingers pressed to each temple. She's a telepath, he realized angrily. "Put me down! Getting away!"

"Not until you calm down," Scott answered calmly. "We're not going to let you hurt them."

Rorschach gritted his teeth. "Going to wait until _they_ hurt someone?" he asked sharply. "Until you find people crushed beneath buildings, or smashed by their own cars?"

He saw the conflict cross Scott's face, the mix of emotions... Emotions he'd seen many times on Nite Owl when he talked like this. Jean rested a hand on Scott's shoulder, and quickly the emotions were stored away again. "Rogue."

"I'm on it," the girl spoke up, removing one of her gloves and starting toward Rorschach. She paused a couple feet away from him, looking him over. He covered even more skin than she did. She couldn't even tell what color skin he had. Shaking her head, she reached up toward the top of his scarf, figuring he had to have skin there. Rorschach's entire body tensed up, his instincts immediately kicking in. He'd had his face torn from him once, and he wasn't going to let it happen again. His arm snapped out and he grasped onto Rogue's wrist. There was a sickening pop and she gave a short cry of pain. Still, he didn't let go, squeezing until she was forced onto her knees.

"Rogue!" Scott's hand moved to his goggles again. Rorschach looked up in time to see a beam of red light just before it hit him solidly in the chest. It was a sharp, burning sensation, forcing him to release Rogue in order to clutch at his chest. She stumbled away quickly, clutching her arm. Scott stepped forward, glaring at Rorschach through those ruby goggles. "You're making this a lot harder than it has to be!"

Rorschach snorted, glancing up. He could see the bead of sweat trickling down Jean's face. It was too much strain for her, apparently, keeping this up much longer.

"We want to talk, Rorschach."

"Talk. Funny way of showing it," the vigilante grunted, motioning toward Rogue with a slight jerk of his head.

Three.

"You don't seem to listen to us!" Scott snapped.

Two.

"Let criminals get away."

One.

"Please-!"

Jean gave a soft grunt of pain, finally forced to release Rorschach. He wasted no time, turning sharply on his heel to take off running. Scott's eyes widened and he started to follow, but-

"Scott!" Rogue clutched her arm tightly, tears threatening to fall.

The boy paused, hesitating. Finally, though, he sighed. "C'mon, let's get you back to the mansion."

-

Xavier rubbed his eyes tiredly as he looked over the papers on his desk. Studied the old black and white pictures, noticing the darkened bruises on pale skin. He looked completely emotionless, except for those eyes. Those eyes that seared with so much intensity that even through the picture, Xavier felt like they could burn right through him. He skimmed over the essay written by a small child. It was all so deeply disturbing... He almost didn't know what to make of it.

"Professor?"

Xavier looked up, quickly wiping away the worry. "Ahh, Scott. Come in. I trust you stopped the Brotherhood?"

"Um... not really," Scott reached under his sunglasses, rubbing his eyes tiredly, a habit he'd picked up from training with Xavier so long. "Rorschach beat us there... But we managed to stop him before he snapped Toad's neck..."

"I see," Xavier nodded, rubbing the back of his neck to work away some of the tension. "I trust he didn't make things easy?"

Scott shook his head in confirmation. "He broke Rogue's wrist when she tried to use her powers. She's with Hank now."

He was worried about his student's injury, but that wasn't what caught his attention. "I don't want Rogue touching him."

The boy blinked in confusion. "But we could learn what happened-"

"Rogue's powers allow her to not only see others' memories, but to feel them," Xavier told his oldest student, a soft sigh escaping him. "Rorschach's memories might be... too much for her to handle."

Scott frowned. "What do you mean, Professor?" he asked quietly.

Xavier hesitated. Scott had always been known to take things to heart... "It doesn't leave this room," he told the boy, pushing the file toward him.

Scott frowned, glancing down at the file. He reached out uncertainly to look over the coffee-stained papers. Xavier could see the emotions flickering over his face. Something like curiosity, to horror, to empathy. Scott looked up again after only reading two pages, opening his mouth, and closing it again. After a couple seconds, he tried again. "I... wow..."

Xavier gave a short nod. "What has happened in Rorschach's life, Scott... most could not handle it. It's amazing, in fact, that he's not worse off than he is now, and those memories are not the only ones that molded him into what he is today." He reached into his desk, pulling out the journal again, to give Scott another example. "Rogue does not touch him. And tell Jean to stay out of his head as well." If anyone was going to find out what had happened, it would be him. He dreaded the idea, but unfortunately, it was still important.

Scott swallowed thickly and nodded. He glanced back down at the file, turning a page and- The boy's eyes widened as his gaze fixed on an old black and white picture. "Professor, I know this man."


	6. Confrontation

**Human Nature**

**Chapter 6: Confrontation**

"Professor, I know this man."

Xavier paused, looking up at his student again in alarm. "You know him?"

Scott nodded urgently. "I mean, not long, but... He was at the high school about a week ago and... today."

Xavier leaned forward, furrowing his brows. "What happened, Scott?"

The boy paused, mulling over his thoughts. "He..." Scott released a deep breath. "Duncan and his friends. They stole my shades. I didn't see what happened, but... he helped."

Xavier frowned, studying his student closely. He could see the conflict of emotions on his face. Caught between hating Rorschach's actions and appreciating Walter's. And then he spotted the unmistakable sign that Scott had come to a decision. He didn't have to read minds to know what was going on. "Scott."

He looked down, frowning. "Yeah, professor?" despite trying to stay calm, a little bit of guilt crept into his tone, sure that Xavier had already figured him out.

"I don't want you going after him," Xavier's voice was quiet, but firm. "Rorschach is unpredictable, and a strategic genius. There's no telling what he'll do..." Scott remained silent, but he could tell that he hadn't gotten through to him yet. "Scott, look at me." He waited until the boy looked up before continuing. "Promise me you won't go looking for him."

Scott swallowed thickly and nodded. "I promise, Professor."

He stood up to leave and Xavier watched him go uncertainly. He could've read his mind, but he wanted to trust him. Releasing a deep sigh, he sat back in his wheel chair and rubbed his temples.

-

_Rorschach's Journal  
March 14th, 2000 ... 4:00pm_

_Growing restless. Dangerous mutants on the loose, but I can not afford to go looking much during the day. Eager for night to fall again. Only another two hours or so. Until then, exploring the city, listening for news. Favorite paper went out of business years ago, not sure which to trust anymore, but I am searching them anyways._

Walter furrowed his brows as he tucked the book away, glancing at the stack of papers on the bench next to him. Most were local. The trustworthy ones always were, but he'd also gotten a copy of the _New York Times,_ the most wide-spread he could find. Already, several had been torn apart and put back together, but nothing. People were giving him strange looks.

Grabbing the next paper, the _Bayville Press, _he flipped it open and buried his face in it, keeping it hidden away from curious observers. One of the downsides of not being in the City that Never Sleeps. People weren't always too caught up in their pointless lives to not notice him.

"Scott, c'mon, why won't you tell me what's bothering you?"

Walter furrowed his brows as his keen ears picked up the familiar voices, glancing up over his paper briefly.

"Look, Jean, it's nothing," Scott mumbled, shrugging the hand off his shoulder.

Jean narrowed her eyes. "You know I can just read your mind, right?"

Scott sent her a look. There was a long silence before Jean huffed and turned to walk away. Scott frowned, putting a hand up as if to stop her. "Wait, Jean-"

"Forget it, Scott. If you don't want to talk to me, I don't want to be here."

Needy woman. Walter pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind, though, when Scott glanced to the side, spotting him. There was a brief flash of realization in the boy's face that made him realize that he had to get the hell out of there now. He simply dropped the paper as he stood, turning to start quickly down an alley. Must have figured it out, Walter realized. Wouldn't be so hard, there were files of him now, and Xavier had a lot of money.

Once away from public eyes, his pace picked up drastically. Rorschach's instincts took over and he began to sprint. Behind him, he could hear the swift steps of the boy following him.

"Rorschach!"

Fuck. Rorschach glanced to the side, his eyes falling on a fire escape. In one swift movement, he was launching himself up the side of the brick wall. His fingers wrapped around the ladder's iron bars, hefting himself up. He reached for the next one and-

He swore under his breath as a beam of red energy hit the back of his hand, forcing him to release the bar and drop down to the ground again. He whipped around to face Scott, wiping all emotion from his face to watch him steadily. He kept his arms raised in case of an attack. "Hunting me down. Should be taking down those criminals."

Scott furrowed his brows, a frown pulling his lips down. "The Brotherhood is staying out of trouble now. We'll deal with them later."

"Later?" Rorschach repeated, a low growl erupting in his throat. "Have to wait for someone to lose their life before you get rid of that filth?"

There it was again. The brief conflict of emotions crossing Scott's face. Young. Didn't understand yet. Once again the vigilante was reminded of his old partner. "... No. But killing them would be the same as letting them kill someone else." It angered him. Thinking of Night Owl. Thinking of the last time he'd seen him.

"Letting them go same as condemning innocents," Rorschach snapped. "Seen them. Care only for themselves. Only for personal gain. Will do whatever it takes to satisfy their own desires." He took a step forward, causing Scott to step back in alarm, his hand raising to his sunglasses. "And desires will grow. From money to sex and sex to power. And who will stop them? Police?" he spat the word, clearly not believing it. "Xavier? Too weak."

Scott gritted his teeth angrily. "The Professor is not weak!"

"Wealthy liberal. Thinks there's good in everyone. You see good, Summers? Good in murderers and rapists? Filth, Summers! World of smooth-talkers and whores. Look around. Bruises on wives' arms. Screams of children behind doors. Never seen it, blinded by Xaviers kind illusions. But I have. Seen the scum crawl from their holes and prey on innocent. Seen girls like Gray left naked in alleyways, in pools of their own blood and sex."

Scott opened his mouth, but no words came out.

Rorschach snorted. "Will find Brotherhood. Will not wait for Xavier to learn hard way." He turned to start walking away.

"W-Wait-!"

He didn't stop.

He heard Scott's footsteps again, felt the brief pressure of a hand on his shoulder. Scott gave a sharp gasp of pain as he found himself slammed into a near-by wall. The force surprised him, knocking the wind out of him. Gasping softly, he reached up to grab Rorschach's wrist.

"I... I know where the Brotherhood is."


	7. Author's Note

Author's Note:

Hey guys. 'Tis Halo speaking here. Unfortunately, I've had a severe block in this story. Now, that's not to say I'm going to stop writing it. No. But it may take me a while to post something, and in the meantime, I might work on something else to keep the thoughts flowing. I'm not sure how long this little block will last, but I promise not to just leave you readers hangers

In the mean time, feel free to suggest any idea. ^^ I'm always willing, and if you wish, I'll credit these ideas to you, even if I use it in a more round-about kind of way.

Thanks~

Halo.


	8. Conflict

**Human Nature**

**Chapter 7: Conflict**

_Rorschach's Journal  
March 14, 2000... 9:45pm_

_At the Brotherhood's Institute. Almost time, waiting for dark. Mansion is broken and filthy, just like its residents. All it needs is a little kick and it will crumble. Summers is restless. Can see constant battling with himself. Reminds me of old partner, Nite Owl. Daniel, growing old in California with whore wife. Difference is Summers is still young. Can still be shown the world before he's sucked into all the lies._

"Rorschach."

He glanced over his shoulder as Scoot spoke, watching him expectantly.

"We... don't have to kill them," Scott pointed out, frowning. "If we were to catch them, turn them into the police..."

"If police have not stopped them already, they won't do anything," Rorschach answered, glancing toward the mansion. There was still yelling from inside, but night had fallen around them, shielding them from prying eyes. "Let's go."

Scott hesitated, but soon, he was following after Rorschach. "How're we going to..."

He trailed off, watching as Rorschach pushed open the kitchen window. He climbed in with ease, pulling down the torn curtains. "You can either stay here or help," he growled. He stepped quietly around the kitchen, and Scott's heart dropped into his stomach as he saw him grab a knife. From there, he could hear the Brotherhood crashing around in the livingroom, unaware.

He could imagine the kind of bloody mess Rorschach could leave with those materials. The Brotherhood would be caught completely off gaurd by the surprise attack... He opened his mouth to protest, but Rorschach was already gone.

The vigilante stepped silently, creeping through the hallway.

"Pietro, give it back!"

"It's Quicksilver," Pietro snapped. He was standing on a desk, holding a sandwich well out of Toad's reach, even as he jumped. "Get it right."

"Just give it to him," Lance grunted, rolling his eyes. "That way, he'll shut up."

"Yeah, whatever." Pietro dropped the sandwich into Toad's hands, hopping down. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm going out to do someth- AH!"

Rorschach threw the curtain over his head, and kicked him into the chest, sending him crashing into a nearby bookshelf. Alarmed, Toad, Lance, and the Blob all turned to face him.

"It's that crazy masked guy!" Toad yelped, stumbling back.

Rorschach stepped on Pietro as he struggled in the curtain, earning a grunt of pain. He turned his attention to the others, removing the knife from his belt.

"Hey man," Blob raised his arms up. "We ain't doing anything."

"Don't need to," Rorschach snarled. "Already did." Suddenly, he knelt down, driving the knife through the curtain.

Scott's head snapped up as a cry of pain reached his ears. His eyes widened. Rorschach actually did it... he was going to kill them. He took out his phone, dialing. "P-Professor... I-I'm sorry. I'm at the Brotherhood's mansion, please, just... I need help. Please, I'm sorry." He hung up the phone and hurried to the door, kicking it down.

Rorschach yanked the blade out, ignoring the small splatter of blood the movement caused. "Stay out of the way, Summers," he snarled.

Panicking, Lance raised his arms. His eyes rolled back and the entire mansion began to tremble. Rorschach growled, trying to step forward, but the earthquake made his steps clumsy.

"Let's get out of here!" Lance snapped.

"What about Quicksilver?"

"Go!" Scott snapped at them, earning a glare from Rorschach.

Soon enough, the Brotherhood was racing out again. Rorschach snarled, turning his knife to Scott. "If you're helping them, you're with them," he growled. "And you're against me."

"I'm not going to fight you, Rorschach," Scott snapped. He kneeled down, pulling the curtain off of Pietro. His eyes widened as he saw the boy clutching at his side where the knife had pierced. He was gasping for breath, tears rolling down his cheeks. "You hit a lung," Scott realized, shaking his head. He bunched the curtain up, pressing it over the wound. He glared angrily at Rorschach. "You... He's just a kid!"

Rorschach was confused by this boy. Was he good or evil? Shaking himself out of it, he curled his fingers into Scott's shirt, hauling him up and shoving him into the wall. Scott reached up, one hand grabbing onto the vigilante's wrist, while the other pushed his sunglasses up.

Rorschach hissed in pain as the full blast hit him in the chest, stumbling back. The red energy scorched his skin, burning a hole clean through his clothing. He gritted his teeth, taking a solid swing and hitting the boy across the face. He clutched the knife, slashing at him.

Scott raised his arms in defense, crying in pain as the blade cut deep across his forearms. Rorschach was a much more experienced fighter, strong and quick despite his age. Rorschach stabbed the knife into the wall beside Scott's head, a low growl escaping him. He sounded like a feral dog defending his territory.

"Stupid, Summers. Xavier's teachings made you too soft."

The boy looked up, swallowing hard. "Your life made you too hard."

For a minute, Rorschach seemed taken aback by the words, but he recovered quickly and only became angrier. A solid blow came across Scott's stomach and he keeled over. Another punch. And another. He couldn't breathe. His eyes were watering.

And suddenly it stopped.

Scott looked up. Everything was blurry. He saw Wolverine and Rorschach fighting. Others joining in. He saw Kitty and Rogue over Pietro, screaming. Jean came in front of him, holding his shoulder.

"_Scott! Scott!_"

The world went black.


	9. Visitor

**Human Nature**

**Chapter 8: Visitor**

_Rorschach's Journal  
October 12, 1982... 1:22am_

_Found children in alleyway tonight. Too small for their age, eyes large and always wet. Rain made tattered clothes cling to their bodies. I could count their ribs, if I wanted to. The homes are too full to take them. Too many orphans on the streets, screaming for a place to be. Too many fathers shot, too many whores dumping children._

_The city cries for them tonight. Ironically, her tears will bring about many deaths. Even her empathy is tainted._

Xavier closed the book. It wasn't the first time he'd read the words. Many years ago, when he was younger, he'd bought the book, fascinated by its contents. Not many had been intereted in it, caught up in the changes the world was going through.

He thought of the vigilante, now being held in something of a prison at the Institute. The glass box had been used before, in emergencies. Xavier hated to do it, but Rorschach was too dangerous to be let loose in the city. Chances were, he'd go after the Brotherhood again. They were at the hospital now. Scott hadn't woken up yet, weakened by loss of blood, and Pietro was hooked up to some machines that were monitoring him.

"Professor?"

Xavier turned his eyes to his student, offering a calm smile. "Yes Jean?"

She was seated by Scott's bead, stroking his hand gently. "This Rorschach guy... We should give him to the police. He's too dangerous."

The Professor's smile faded, replaced by a grim look. "I'm afraid it's not that simple, Jean." Deep inside him, he still held some level of respect for the vigilante, in the same way he respected an old friend of his. He knew Rorschach's intentions were good, he'd just seen a little too much of the world's dark underbelly.

"But he-"

Xavier reached out, resting a hand on the girl's shoulder and silencing her. "Trust me, Jean. I won't let anything happen to Scott, or any of the others."

Jean paused, studying him before releasing a heavy sigh. "Okay..."

"Why don't you go home and get some rest, Jean. I'll call you if he wakes up."

She hesitated, clearly not wanting to leave, but a firm look from her mentor made the decision for her. She stood, glancing at Scott one more time before turning to go. Xavier frowned as she closed the door a little more forcefully than was truly necessary. She was upset with him. Still, he knew it would be better if she wasn't around for this.

The Professor only had to wait about ten minutes. Time in which he spent reading through the black-bound book.

"Charles."

He looked up again. A frown tugged on his features as his gaze fell upon his old friend. "Erik."

Their eyes locked and there was a tense moment between them. Xavier almost thought Magneto was going to attack, but finally, the other man turned his attention to the silver-haired boy hooked up to the beeping machines. He walked past the professor, reaching out to rest a hand on his head. Xavier waited patiently for him to start.

"Did your X-Men do this?" Magneto asked lowly.

Xavier shook his head, glancing back at Scott. "No. My students saved him."

Magneto nodded. Despite their differences, he knew Xavier as an honest man. He turned to face him again, taking a seat next to his son's bed. "Then we have a bigger problem."

"Yes..." Xavier ran his fingers over the spine of the book in his hands.

"S.H.I.E.L.D.?"

"No."

Magneto prided himself in being a patient man when he needed to be, but right now, his son lay in a hospital bed with a punctured lung. "Then who, Charles?" he demanded.

Xavier sighed softly, closing his eyes. "I'm not sure it's a good idea to tell you, Erik."

Magneto narrowed his eyes, his gaze flickering over his old friend's face. Something was wrong. There seemed to be an... uncertainty in him. There were only a handful of times he remembered seeing the Prfessor struggling with his own morals and belief. His eyes flickered briefly to the black book Xavier was holding.

_Rorschach's Journal._

Magneto's gaze snapped up in surprise. "Rorschach?"

-

Logan raised an eyebrow as he heard the door slam. Judging by the scent, it was Jean. He finished wrapping the bandages, tearing the gauze with his teeth and tying it off. "There, I'm done."

Ororo nodded, rolling her shoulder to test the scarred muscles. "That Rorschach... he's certainly something."

"He's a murderer," Logan snorted. "Pretty simple."

She sent him a skeptical look. "You don't exactly have the cleanest record, Logan."

Logan frowned, knowing sh had a point. "You're taking his side?"

"Of course not," Ororo shook her head, looking own at her hands. "But the Professor seems to respect him, for some reason. I think there's more to him than just the killer."

Both looked up as Jean stormed in. She walked about the kitchen, looking through cupboards and slamming them closed again. Ororo and Logan turned their eyes to eachother. A silent argument passed between the two of them, one which Ororo won. She stood up, stepping out of the kitchen, leaving Logan and Jean alone.

Sighing heavily, Logan rubbed the back of his neck. "What's up, kid?"

"Professor Xavier made me come back," Jean answered huffily, without a moment's hesitation. She'd been waiting to vent to someone. "I can't believe him right now, Logan!" She whirled around to face him. "He's usually so wise, why is he... why is he protecting this guy?! And after he attacked Scott!"

The tell-tale signs of her losing her temper were showing. Logan could see her hair start to lift and objects start levetating around her. He knew he'd have to diffuse this quickly lest she cause the kitchen too much damage.

"Calm down, kid. The Professor knows what he's doing."

Jean turned to face him again, fists clenched at her sides. "All he's been doing is sitting in that office and reading that stupid book! Can't he see what's happening?!" Tears welled up in her eyes. "We need to do something, Logan."

Logan frowned again. "Look, I don't like it anymore than you do, but what're we going to do?"

There was a brief pause. Jean bit her lip, looking down at the ground before fixing her gaze back on the man. "I can read his mind... I can... I can..." she shook her head, wiping her tears on her sleeve. "I don't know..." She sobbed, dropping down into a sitting position and pressing her back to the cupboards. "Scott is in the hospital because of him! He could've been killed!"

Logan wasn't sure what to do. He looked around before sighing and moving to kneel down next to her. "C'mon kid, it'll be alright..."

She sobbed into her hands, shaking her head. "We have to do something! You should've felt what was going on in Scott's mind. It was like a big storm, like he didn't know what he believed anymore. We have to do something, Logan..."

He studied her closely, glancing at the door. Rorschach had put up quite a fight, but having numbers (not to mention powers), they'd managed to defeat him. He was currently locked in a ten by ten glass prison. Last anyone checked, he was still out cold. "The Professor told us to stay away from him..." he pointed out hesitantly.

Jean looked up, sensing the 'but' in that statement. "You mean...?"

Logan nodded shortly. She pulled herself, throwing her arms round him in a tight hug. "Thank you Logan. Thank you so much..."


	10. Headrush

A/N: Geez, it's been a while, hasn't it? Sorry guys, been busy. xP To make it up to you guys I made this one a little longer. xD I buy off your forgiveness.

**Human Nature**

**Chapter 9: Headrush**

"Rorschach?"

Charles tightened his hold on the book, looking back down at it. Magneto was one of the few people in the world that had decided to read it as well. It made sense, they were friends back then -- they still were, just with differing opinions -- and it had been the subject of many long-winded debates with neither ever having a set side. Rorschach was shaky ground for... both of them. The vigilante's twisted morals and divine sins could make anyone question their own beliefs.

When he got no response, Magneto stood from his seat angrily, making his way to his old friend. Xavier took a deep breath, looking up to meet his eyes. "Rorschach?" Erik repeated more firmly, narrowing his eyes.

Xavier nodded. "Rorschach.'

There was a long silence between them. Magneto didn't seem sure of how to react for a moment. "You are... sure?"

"Positive," Xavier nodded. "I have no doubts about it."

Magneto began to pace, slowly, processing the information he'd just received. A lot had happened since all those years ago, but he remembered them clearly. He remembered reading about the infamous vigilante in papers that both slandered his name and praised him as a hero.

"... How... interesting..."

Xavier narrowed his eyes, seeing the cogs of Magneto's mind turning. "You can't go near him, Erik. I won't let you."

The dark gaze snapped to him. "And why not, Charles? I'm sure you plan on talking to him."

This might have been true, but Xavier knew one thing for sure. Either Rorschach would disagree with Magneto's ways and attack him, or worse... he would agree. The idea of Magneto working with someone with so much anger and force, but so little remorse... "He's sick, Erik," he told him, shaking his head. "Look what he did to your son."

This stopped Magneto for a moment. He narrowed his eyes, stepping to Pietro's bed to rest a hand on the boy's head, silver locks of hair sticking out through his fingers. It was difficult to tell what was going on in his head. Xavier silently cursed that helmet he worse, knowing he couldn't read his mind past it.

"_Jean..._"

Both of their gazes snapped to the side as Scott spoke.

-

"Be quick, kid."

Jean nodded, closing the prison door behind her, leaving her alone in the glass box with the unconscious vigilante. Rorschach's body was slumped in a corner, his head lolled forward so that his chin pressed to his chest. She couln't see the figures shifting, his ask hidden beneath his hat. She approached him cautiously, unsure if he was awake. When he made no move to attack, she kneeled down, carefully lifting his head.

The black blots churned slowly into ghastly shapes she didn't bother to try and put a name to. Jean hesitated. It would be easier if she took off his mask, but she wasn't sure she wanted to. If she could put a face to this man, a real human face, she wouldn't be able to hate him like she did. As long as he wore that mask, he was still just a monster, not a person.

Taking a deep breath, she placed her fingers to his temples and closed her eyes. She opened her mind to him, first being flooded with his dream.

_The allies were dark, cold, filled with filth and the blood of its scum. Rorschach ran, light as air, never making a sound against the pavement. He turned a corner and his target became clear. It was a child. He picked up the pace as the child began to tire, losing energy quickly. Rorschach grabbed the boy by the clothes, shoving him into the nearest wall._

_The boy could only have been seven or eight, lifted well off the ground by the vigilante._

_He had big blue eyes that were wide, innocent.  
_

_Rorschach hesitated. At least, he did until the boy pulled a gun, pointing it at his face. The object was awkward, too big for the boy's hands, but that wouldn't stop him. Gritting his teeth beneath his mask, Rorschach pulled him away from the wall and slammed him into it again, this time hearing a crack that echoed all around him. Again. Again. Blood splattered on the wall. The boy screamed with each hit, tears streaming down his cheeks._

_CRACK!_

_Blue eyes clouded over.  
_

_CRACK!_

_The boy went limp._

_CRACK!_

Logan jumped to attention as he heard two simultaneous gasps. "Kid!" Jean had fallen back, sweat trickling down her face. Rorschach was standing suddenly, his gaze snapping from left to right, trying to figure out what was going on. His eyes fell on Jean and he growled.

Jean, realizing she was in danger, used her feet to push herself back, away from him.

"What are you doing?" Rorschach demanded, pressing his hand to the wall of his glass prison. Angrily, he pounded on it, but there was no break, only a steady vibration. "Out! Get me out!"

Logan gritted his teeth, knowing that if he opened the door to get Jean out now, Rorschach would likely get out. The man was much faster than he looked. Jean pressed herself back into a wall before extending a hand. Immediately, the vigilante was lifted into the air, still fighting. Slowly, he started to settle down until he was just glaring at the telepath -- the _child_ -- who had him at her mercy.

These mutants were really starting to piss him off.

"Kid, get out of there while you still have control," Logan ordered.

Jean was usually very sensible, but sometimes, her emotions got the best of her. When she looked at Rorschach, all she could see was the conflict brewing inside of Scott, the deep slashes in his arms, made by this vigilante's weapon. She stepped forward so that she stood directly in front of Rorschach.

"In love with summers,"

It wasn't even a question, and his blunt words only made her hate him more. She raised her hands, pressing her fingers to Rorschach's temples. She felt him struggle, but forced her way into his mind.

When she was hit with a memory from so many years ago, she was confused. Either he was forcing the memory toward her, or he barely had control over how they infested his mind.

_"Stupid, stupid, stupid!" It was happening too fast. He scrambled to find something, anything to ward off the oncoming forces._

_Anything could be a weapon in the right hands. The thud of footsteps matched the pounding of his heart. He couldn't go with them, he couldn't. They'd take his face, they'd lock him up. Filth would infest the streets because no one else cared. There would be no one else to fight it._

_Didn't matter that they were cops. Cops were corrupt traitors, never did anything but let them free again._

_There were too many. He fought with everything he had, the stench of burnt flesh filled the air, they were shouting. Telling him to surrender. No. Never. Had to get out. Too many. He ran, crashing through the window. Hurt to hit the ground. Struggling. Too many._

_Suddenly they're grabbing him, forcing him to his knees. His heart is pounding. They tear off the mask._

_"No! Give me back my face!"_

Jean gasped, releasing him again. The rush of fear and anger and even sorrow that came with that memory was too much. But Rorschach was glaring at her, she could feel it even with the latex barrier between them.

"Want to know, Grey?" the vigilante snarled. "Know how mind works?" He grabbed her hands before she could back away, forcing them to his temples. He was so much stronger than her. "Look!"

He was volunteering the information. She could hear Logan starting to open the door. He wouldn't let her continue. She had to look. She closed her eyes and focused.

_"I should have had that abortion!"_

_"C'mon man! Arrest me!"_

_"You can't do that, Rorschach!"_

_"Your time is not up Rorschach..."  
_

_"Whoreson!"_

_"Men get arrested. Dogs get put down!"_

_"Please! Please help me..."_

_"Do you know how hard it is to be your friend sometimes?"  
_

_"Warm blood splashed my face..."_

_"I'm... sorry it is so hard..."_

_"DO IT!!"_

Jean crumbled, falling to her knees and clutching her head. She was shaking, all over, and tears were pouring down her cheeks. Every scene in her mind was filled with such strong emotions, but always anger and always pain, so potent that she could feel it herself. She could barely get a grasp on what he'd shown her. There was no organization to it, no way of finding order in all of the chaos. It was all too much.

She looked up, seeing Logan grab Rorschach by the front of his coat and shove him into a wall.

Her head was pounding. Too damn much.

Logan and Rorschach stilled. Objects outside of the prison were being lifted into the air. Swearing, Logan released Rorschach. "Kid, you've gotta calm down!"

Warm liquid trickled down her neck. It was blood, falling from her ears. Logan knelt down beside her, clutching her shoulders. "Jean!"

-

"Jean..."

Xavier wheeled his chair closer to Scott's bed, pressing a hand to his forehead. His eyes narrowed as he realized he was burning up. Frowning, he focused on his student's mind.

Half a second later, he had to yank his arm back, startled by the force of thoughts. The professor swallowed thickly, turning his eyes to Magneto. "Scott and Jean have always had a strong telepathic connection. Something has happened."

Magneto narrowed his eyes, turning to go.

"Erik-"

"Goodbye Charles."

Xavier tried to roll after him, but unfortunately, everyone had their disadvantages. "Erik!"

-

Distracted. They were distracted, and he could get out. Rorschach did not waste the opportunity. He ran. Out of the prison, to an open window, where he jumped. It was two stories up, but he landed on bent legs, tucking his arms in and rolling to slowly release the force exerted on his body.

Behind him, in the mansion, he could hear rushed voices, panicking. They wouldn't notice him gone, not until the girl calmed down enough to control her powers. He wouldn't take chances, though. He sprinted away from the building, his arms pumping at his side with each step. He had sustained some injuries from his battle, but they had been bandaged up. What this was a sign of, he wasn't sure, but he didn't trust them.

Turning a corner, Rorschach nearly crashed into a solid body, only managing to dodge by stumbling a little into the street. Luckily it was dark and no one was driving by just then. He was about to run when he heard his name.

"Rorschach."

He paused momentarily, turning to face the man. Silver hair -- though by the looks of it, that was natural -- and a hard frame. The man seemed relaxed enough, but there was something else in his eyes. Something that almost reminded him of Adrian Veidt.

"My name is Magneto." The well dressed man held out a hand. "I wish to speak with you."

The vigilante snarled. "Another mutant."

Rorschach noticed the slight annoyance that came with that statement. "Yes. You might call Professor Xavier and myself rivals."

This brought a pause to the vigilante. A rival of Charles Xavier? He wasn't sure whether this was good or bad, but he was curious none the less. Either he was lying and just trying to bring him back, or any information he had could be useful.

"Speak about what?" he demanded.

"You helping me fight the X-men."


End file.
